Always There For Her
by ivanclaysburgh
Summary: What if Kristof and Anna didn't just meet in one day? What if they actually grew up together as best friends? This story shows a different take on the whole Kristof/Anna relationship, how Kristof was there for Anna when she needed him, and explores a new meaning behind what it means to "thaw a frozen heart."
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: PROLOGUE

You could say I was there for her when no one else was. Whenever she needed someone to talk to, I was always around to listen. Whenever she had no one to joke or play with, I was always there to laugh with her. Whenever she needed a friend to tell her everything would be alright, I was always the one. In some ways, we were both there when we needed each other the most. In some way, you could say she helped me more than I helped her.

Perhaps I should start from the beginning.

For the longest time, I lived with my parents up in the North Pass of the mountains surrounding the city of Arendelle. We lived in a small quaint cottage down in a secluded gale, close to the winding road that traveled up and over the range. It was the same road many of the ice-men took to travel up to the frozen caps to carve out and transport ice blocks back to town. My father worked as one of the ice-men while my mother took up shop in our home as an apothecary, making herbs and remedies for any travelers seeking a cure to their aliments. I always wanted to join my father on his expeditions to the frozen icecaps, but he never brought me along. We always had a distant relationship, one I wish I had time to mend if there was still time.

One day, my father never came home. I remember sitting all day by the window, hoping that I would see him coming down the road. It wasn't until one of his closest pals returned to deliver the sad news. He had fallen through a thin patch of ice on the lake and had died from hypothermia before he was fished out. After that day, life around our home grew quiet. Granted, my father was never around enough for it to seem like he was part of our lives; but just knowing that he was never coming back again left a hole inside the both of us. I could say that I was bothered about him being gone to this day, but that would be a lie.

When I had turned ten, I made a decision to go out and find some way to help my mother bring in some means of an income. Her medicine business was not enough for us to live on, and with father out of the picture, she needed someone to provide after her. Luckily, I was able to get hired by the palace of Arendelle to take care of the stables. Every day, I would maintain the horses and make sure enough hay, oats and water was delivered to them. Sometimes, when no one was looking, I would amuse myself by giving the horses names, mimicking voices for them and making up elaborate conversations to kill the dead time. Kind of pathetic, now that I look back on it.

However, working in the palace was not always drudgery and work. There was always time for me to slip away from my duties and venture around the King and Queen never really went anywhere and no one from outside of Arendelle ever came to visit. It was a strange matter, but I never seemed to question it. As soon as I had fed the horses and groomed them, I would sneak through the back parlor door and make my way through the grand hallways. Being inside the palace was always the highlight of my day, because it was inside that I would spend time with my best friend: the princess Anna.

I still remember the day when we first met. She spotted me a while back near the stables during one of my episodes. I had gotten into a debated conversation with one of the horses that I had named Claudio.

"I mean, what I don't understand is how you can eat the same thing that you use as a bed?" I jokingly asked the horse. "I mean, you don't see us humans eating our own mattresses, now do you?"

"Well, your beds aren't as tasty!" I mimicked one of the horses in my own gruff, bellowing voice.

"You got that right!" I responded.

I heard the sound of someone giggling behind me. I spun around and was surprised to find a seven-year-old girl with strawberry-blonde hair peaking over the stable door at me. She had freckles dotting along her nose and her hair was braided into two pigtails. Her eyes beamed delightfully at me.

"What'cha doing?" she asked in a squeaky voice.

"Nothing," I shrugged, trying to act like I wasn't making a fool of myself.

"Were you talking to that horsey?" she asked again.

"No. Why would I be? Only weirdoes talk to horses... which I wasn't."

She giggled even louder. I could feel my face growing red from embarrassment. "That's not strange at all," she added encouragingly.

I turned to her, somewhat puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Sometimes, I talk to the paintings on the wall."

I caught myself before I let out a snicker. "Now, that is weird."

"Not as weird as talking to horses, but I like talking to them either way."

For some reason, I couldn't help but smile at this girl. There was something about her cheerful and sunny attitude that seamed contagious.

"I'm Anna. What's your name?"

"Kristof. I'm the stable boy."

She finally came around the corner. She was wearing a bright green dress with a black embroidered shoulder straps. By her side, she was also carrying a basket of apples.

"What's up with the apples?" I asked.

"Well, I wanted to go on a picnic today, but I have no one to go with me. Would you like to come?"

I scoffed at the thought of me attending a girly-picnic out on the grass; it certainly did not seem to be that riveting. "Sorry, but I got a lot of work to do. These horses won't feed themselves."

Anna's face drooped as she lowered the basket by her side. "Oh..." she mumbled, a little disappointed. "Okay then..."

Somehow, I felt a little ashamed for responding like that. She seemed so nice and eager to be friends with me, and turning her down like that was just... rude, for lack of a better word. Suddenly I had an idea to help lift up her spirits. "But..." I playfully suggested, "you want to know who would really like those apples?"

Anna turned back to me, shaking her head.

"Claudio." I patted the side of the horse I was standing next to. "And I'll let you in on a secret."

Anna leaned in closer, her eyes glowing with wonderment.

"Claudio can actually talk."

"What? That's silly."

"No, he really does. That's why I was talking to him earlier."

"But you said you weren't talking to him."

"Well... that's the point of it being a secret. You don't want anyone knowing about it. But you have to feed him apples for him to speak to you."

Anna gasped excitedly as she hoisted her basket up. "Here, here! I have some!"

She skipped over to me as I gestured her over to the large stallion. "Now, you have to hold the apple up to him on your hand," I whispered into her ear, "but make sure you ask him his name first."

"Okay," Anna whispered back to me and then turned her attention back to the horse. "Hi there, I'm Anna. What's your name?"

The stallion shook its head and gave a small brea.

"Why, my name is Claudio!" I mimicked the horse in my gruff, bellowing voice. "The ole'dest stallion in this stable."

Anna giggled as she continued to play along. "Really? How old are you?"

"Many moons old!" I mimicked again as the horse gave another brea.

Anna proceeded with the apple, extending it up to the horse. "Would you like an apple, Mr. Claudio?"

"Why, certainly!" And right on cue, the horse leaned in to snatch the apple from Anna's hand... but she had pulled it away in a teasing manner. "What's the magic word?" she gleefully asked.

"Pleeaase?" I mimicked again, trying to make the horse sound desperate.

This time, Anna beheld the apple and the horse devoured it earnestly. Anna clapped her hands delightfully as she smiled and turned to me. "Again, again! Do it again!"

Ever since then, Anna and I been good friends.

Every day, I would meet her inside the palace and we would spend hours playing in the empty ballrooms and chambers. We would enact out the stories we read in the library, and play Dread Pirate Roberts along the winding staircase. Some days, I would manage to sneak her out to the pastures with one of the ponies and teach her how to ride both ways, side-seating and saddle pose. I introduced to her early on how to play or climb trees. We even invented a game of bouncing from sofa chair to the couches in the grand , and we would have to keeping bouncing until the other one got tired and hit the floor.

There was one strange feature about Anna that I never fully understood. On the right side of her head, she had a white strand of hair that started at the scalp and was interwoven with one of her braids. It reminded me of the strands of gray hairs that some of the elderly ladies in the town square had; but why Anna had one was bewildering to me. I asked about it one day, and she giggle to admit that even she didn't know how she got it. I guess it must have been something like a birthmark for her, something that she was born with.

To be honest, I was surprised she had wanted to be friends with me at all. I mean, most girls her age didn't like hanging out with boys. Most girls her age would rather spend time playing dress-up or tea-parties with their other friends. It was only after two months of befriending her that I realized something. In the time the gates of the palace remained closed, I never saw any other children come to visit. Anna never hung around with anyone else her own age but me. It finally dawned upon me that Anna didn't have any other friends, except for me.

She did tell me she had a sister: Elsa. Everyone talked about her, but no one ever saw her, or if they did, it was for only a glimpse as she made her way from one room to the next. Anna would tell me stories about how she and Elsa would play in the snow all the time, building snowmen and having snowball fights. Sometimes, she wished they could have that kind of fun again. When I asked why her sister doesn't play with her anymore, Anna would become silent and shrugged her shoulder, not having an answer.

"She doesn't even talk to me anymore," Anna would confess, her eyes downcast. "Sometimes, it's almost like I don't have a sister."

I never had a brother or anything close to a sibling, but I guess it must be hard having a sister who never wants to talk or play with you. Eventually, I stopped asking about Elsa, and we would continue with our own merriment.

The years went by, and still the gates remained closed. At seventeen, Anna had grown into a beautiful woman. Her features had become more refined, although she still had those adorable freckles on her nose. Her auburn hair shone radiantly in the sunlight, and even her white streak of hair gave her a nice touch. There were days when I didn't want to admit it, but she was growing more beautiful to me. Sometimes, I wanted so much to tell her, but just thinking about how awkward it would be to have your best friend say something like that forced me to keep my tongue silent. There was nothing I wanted to happen that would change our friendship.

Then the tragic day came.

When news of Anna's parents had reached the palace walls, it felt like a dark cloud descended upon everyone. Even I was close enough to Anna's parents to feel the pain of their loss, and I remember retreating into the stables as I started getting choked up with grief. They were like a second set of parents to me, always welcoming me into their home and treating me like a son. Never for one second did they ever see me as a mere stable-boy. Now, they were gone.

But it wasn't me I was concerned about. It was Anna that I feared for.

At the funeral, I stood with the other servants as we held a small service in their memory in the Grand Ballroom. I would cast my glance over at Anna, who stood alone in her mourning dress. She looked so lost, like a child wishing to see the sun again. She had remained silent throughout the whole morning, trying to look strong before her subjects, but only I could see the grief and despair hidden behind her eyes. I kept looking about to see if her sister Elsa was there, but like always, she wasn't anywhere in sight.

Later on that day, I went looking for Anna, to see how she was doing. I had turned the corner and saw her sitting at the foot of her sister's bedroom door... trying to talk to her through the barrier.

I couldn't believe it. Even now, Elsa still didn't have the heart to come out and comfort her sister. What kind of a sister was she! They were her parents too! Elsa had been locking herself away for so long, keeping her sister out as well as everyone else. Now, when Anna needed her the most, she still wouldn't even budge the door open.

I did my best to keep my anger until control. When I glanced down the hallway again, I could see Anna making her way towards me, her head hanging with dismay. I didn't want her to get the suspicion that I was spying on her, so I tried to quietly retreat back down the hall without her noticing.

"Kristof?"

My voice caught her by surprise. I turned around to see her standing there. I remember how her eyes looked. They were red and swollen from crying, and while she did her best to wipe the tears and smile at me, I knew she was hurt.

I tried to make up some excuse, to not give her the impression that I was eavesdropping. Unfortunately, I had nothing. "I-I was just..."

Anna raised her hand to stop me, saving me from embarrassing myself. She already knew I witnessed everything. I hung my head in shame.

"I guess I thought I could finally speak to her," she whispered. "Even now that they're gone, I thought she might want to know..." Her voice quivered as she tried to choke back some tears. "...that I still am here for her."

I couldn't help but feel sorry for Anna. All she wanted right now was to know that her sister didn't hate her, that she still had someone inside of these cold-concealed walls who still loved her.

Without thinking, I pulled her towards me and wrapped my arms around her.

For a moment, neither of us moved. Then, I began to feel the heavy sobs from Anna as she buried her face into my shoulder. I only held her tighter as she clung to me, trying to hold herself up as her weeping only grew more violent.

I don't know what came over me, but I began to feel the warm sting of my own tears on my face. I never liked anyone to see or hear me cry, but I didn't care. I just wanted Anna to know that she wasn't alone with what she was feeling. Her grief was my grief, and her loss was my loss. If anything, I just hope she understood that neither of us were alone in what we were going through.

As we continued to hold each other in that cold, empty hallway, I couldn't help but feel like there was someone else there wanting to share in our sorrow. Someone I couldn't see in that moment. For some strange reason, I felt like Elsa was there, weeping beside us.

When I opened my eyes, I only saw the two of us. The bedroom door still remained closed.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: HAPPY MEMORIES

The days seem to drag when you've lost someone close to you.

For the next three days, Anna remained locked away inside her room, staying hidden from everyone. It felt strange not being able to see her. I knew she needed some time to be alone, to sort things out with the loss of her parents. Although I was use to not seeing her for a few days at a time, her isolation was a little unsettling to me; and for once, I began to feel the same kind of neglect and isolation she must feel with Elsa.

I knew I had no right to be upset with Anna's sister, but for some reason, her behavior was really getting to me. You would think losing your parents would get you to face the world again; but I didn't understand why she continued to lock herself away like this. Was she upset at Anna about something? Did she hold a grudge against her parents? Did she have some serious skin condition which forced her to avoid all human contact? I didn't know, no one knew. And that's what made this so frustrating to me.

One thing I was certain of: Anna couldn't have done anything to hurt or offend her sister. If anything, Anna always wanted her sister to be a part of her life. Ever since she was a little girl, she always begged Elsa to come out and play with her, and always she was turned away. Maybe that's why I became close friends with Anna at a young age; I felt sorry for her.

By the third day, I couldn't sit in the stables twiddling my thumbs anymore. I walked into the palace and up to Anna's door. I knocked but there was no answer.

I don't remember how long I waited, but I eventually fell asleep at the foot of her door. I never did mind the hard ground anyway, and having the lush carpeting there was almost like a feathered mattress to me. But I was soon awoken by a pair of feet jutting into my side and tripping over my torso.

It was Anna. She screamed as she fell over on top of me. I guess she didn't notice me lying there when coming out of her room. Then again, I suppose falling asleep in front of a door wasn't the brightest idea on my part.

"Kristof, what are you doing?" She scrambled off of me as quickly as she could, trying to look like she hadn't made a fool of herself.

"Just making sure you hadn't died or something," I stood up, dusting myself off.

She looked at me in her clumsy state as I looked at her. Her hair was sticking out all over the place in a fuzzy mess. She must have rolled out of bed or something, but was still dressed as if ready to wander outside. Probably me stopping her was the best thing. If she had gotten any further down the hall, she would have a huge laughing stock. I couldn't help but snicker. "But I seriously hope you weren't thinking about getting far looking like that."

She realized how she must have looked, and immediately began to turn red. "Oh, geez, I know. I would have been seized on sight for indecent exposure."

"Naw," I jokingly continued. "They probably would have thought one of the garden's thistle bushes found its way onto your head." I began to playfully mess with some tangled clumps of her hair. "I'm pretty sure this is one of them."

She giggled as she slapped my hand away from her. "Stop it, I'm not that bad."

We stood there, laughing for a bit. Then it grew quiet again.

"How are you doing?" I finally asked.

Anna took a moment before answering. "I'm doing fine."

"Are you sure?"

She shrugged to herself. "I mean, I don't know what really to say. I always thought Elsa would change after something like this would happen..."

"I'm sure she's just as upset as you are," I kindly suggested. "I mean, you both lost your parents. That's not something anyone can deal with easily."

Anna sighed. "No, it isn't. I guess we both have different ways of dealing with it."

I could see there was some hesitation in her voice, like she wanted to believe what she was saying was true. At the same time, it had been so long since she had any proof or confirmation from her sister. Over the years, they saw less and less of each other, to the point where it almost seemed like Elsa didn't even exist anymore.

I noticed she was holding something in her hand. "Hey, I didn't know you still had that."

It was a small, wood-carved snowman made from a piece of birch wood. Its eyes, mouth and button holes were made of colored crystals that were fastened tight into the wood, and had a two twigs sticking out for arms.

"Oh yeah," snickered Anna. "I was just going through my closet today and stumbled across it. It brings back good memories..."

I smiled to myself. "I'm glad. You need some good memories to keep for yourself."

She smiled at me. "It was the last present I ever received from Elsa. Every time I see it, I just know she still hasn't forgotten about me. Then again, you should know. I mean, you were there when I got it."

"Oh yeah, of course." _If only Anna really knew the truth..._

_It was the day of Anna's eighth birthday. It had been a year already since I came to the palace as well as been Anna's friend. I remember her being so excited and looking forward to the celebration as we sat in the front parlor steps, snacking on macaroons. Anna was giddily telling me everything that would be at the party. "And we'll have marzipan, and strawberry tarts and turkish delight... Oooo, and chocolate! Lots and lots of chocolate!" _

"_Yeah, I can already taste it." Just thinking about all that food in one place was making my mouth water._

"_But that's not the best part!" she added._

"_You mean there's more sweets?" _

_Anna giggled. "No, silly! Elsa will be there."_

_I was a little confused. "But your sister never liked big parties. You even told me so."_

"_But she'd never missed my birthday. I know she will be there. And we are going to have so much fun."_

_Anna beamed at just the thought of being with her sister again. She straightened to her feet, dusting off the crumbs that had fallen onto her dress. "I'm going to sneak into the kitchen again, and see how my cake is looking."_

"_Don't get caught!" I hollered to her as she scampered away and into the next room. As soon as she was out of sight, I dashed out to the stables to retrieve the present I had been working on for Anna. In the stables, I ran over to one of the horse-drawn sleighs and lifted one of the seat cushions, where I hide my present. I was wrapped with some green tissue paper I had borrowed from the palace's craft closet and fastened by a red silk ribbon. I grinned as I knew Anna would love it. _

_Anna's birthday celebration started at sundown. Surprisingly, Anna had asked her parents to let me attend the celebration with them, and they gladly accepted. The cooks and servants brought out a platter of honey-glazed ham and a plethora of desserts and chocolates for everyone. The games and festivities were assembled in the adjoining ballroom, and at least two hundred luff-balloons were scattered across the floor. It seemed quite a display for a party which would only include Anna, her parents, her sister, and myself; but the King and Queen did what they could to make their little girl happy._

_There was only one thing missing: Elsa._

_She had not come down yet from her chambers, and we were all eagerly waiting for her to arrive. Anna gleefully kicked in her seat as she counted down the minutes before her sister would walk through the door. _

_Ten minutes had passed, and still, she hadn't come._

_The King summoned Kai, the head butler, to go and make sure Elsa was alright. Anna nervously looked at both her parents, who returned her with an encouraging smile._

"_She will be down soon, Anna," they both promised her._

_Another ten minutes passed._

_By now, the food was getting cold and I could no longer silence my stomach anymore from making hunger-rumbles. That's when Kai returned with a worried look on his face, beckoning the King and Queen to come with him. They immediately followed after Kai, leaving Anna and I alone in the room._

_I glanced over at Anna. She didn't look very excited anymore. _

"_I'm sure she's just finishing wrapping her present for you," I suggested to her, hoping that would cheer her up._

"_I hope so," Anna replied, dismally. _

_Suddenly, my stomach let out a loud gurgling sound, which caught Anna by surprise. "Was that you?"_

"_No," I tried to lie, but even I could not stop gawking over all the untouched sweets that laid before us. Smirking at me, Anna crawled across the table, snagged one of the cupcakes from the tray, and snuck it under the table over to me._

"_Don't worry," she whispered as if she had stolen something precious. "I won't tell."_

"_Thanks, Anna," I whispered back, slouching low enough under the tablecloth to devour the savory treat._

_Anna's parents returned to the dining hall, but not with Elsa. They approached Anna as her mother placed her hand on her shoulder. "We're very sorry, dear," she solemnly spoke, "but Elsa's not feeling well. She has to stay in bed until she feels better."_

_I could see the light from Anna's eyes quickly get snuffed out. She had waited all afternoon to see her sister, and just when she thought her wish would be granted, it was quickly snatched away. _

"_Well, maybe I can visit her," Anna stammered. "Maybe we can have my party up in her room so that she doesn't-"_

"_No!" The King almost snapped at Anna, but quickly quieted and soothed his tone. "We don't want you to catch what she has. Just let her sleep it off tonight and let her get well."_

_I remained silent from the whole conversation. I could see there was distraught written all over Anna's face. I was even afraid that Anna would start crying at any moment. "But... she never missed my birthday..."_

"_I'm so sorry, Anna," her mother kneeled down to comfort her. "She's so upset about not being here. But she will try to make it up somehow."_

"_In the meantime," added in the King, "we should start eating this wonderful feast Chef Marlo has prepared for you."_

_We ate the entire meal in silence. There was no point in trying to liven up supper with small talk or jokes. The celebration was already ruined; I could clearly see that. I glanced over at Anna every once in a while. She didn't even bother to eat her cake, and spent all of suppertime prodding at her meal with her fork. Her chin resting on her palm._

_We quickly proceeded into the ballroom where the King and Queen tried to get Anna playing some of the games they had prepared. While I was gleefully encouraging Anna, she only sat on the sofa, her little head staring down at the ground. We knew she was no longer having any fun. Before the King and Queen could say anything, Kai bumbled into the room again to steal them away for a quick emergency. Once again, Anna and I were left alone, standing there among the discarded remains of a underwhelming party._

_I walked over to Anna, who continued to sit in silence. "Are you okay, Anna?"_

_She didn't even care to look at me._

_I tried to think of something to get her mind off of her dreary state. "Hey, what if we play Bounce-Couch again? I bet you can't reach the ceiling in three tries-"_

"_No," Anna sighed, kicking one of the balloons at her feet away. _

_She really wanted to spend time with her sister tonight. But I couldn't stand seeing her this sad anymore. I wished I could do something to make her feel better..._

_That's when I present! I dug into my pocket, pulling it out the green package. Without giving it a second thought, I held it out to her with a stiff arm._

"_Actually, Anna..." I said in a dry voice, "Elsa wanted me to give you this."_

_Immediately, her little head sprung up as she tried to wipe some of the tears from her eyes. "What?" _

"_She asked me to give this to you, since she couldn't make it." I tried to play a straight face, hoping that Anna wouldn't suspect anything._

_Anna gently took the gift, staring wide-eyed at it. She was so entranced by the unexpected gesture that she wasn't sure how to respond._

"_Well... aren't you going to open it?" I eagerly asked. _

_A smile broadened on Anna's face as she started tearing away the paper. In her hands, she found herself holding a wood-carved snowman. Although it wasn't sanded or carved to perfection, it still had a touch of character to its grain. Anna's eyes lit up with wonder as the crystals making up the snowman's eyes and buttons cast fractures of colored light upon her face._

"_Oh, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed in her awe. "Elsa made this for me?"_

"_I guess so," I shrugged._

_Anna looked up at me. In one spring, she leapt from the sofa and onto me, squeezing her arms around my arms tightly. "It's the best birthday present I've ever received!"_

_I stood there rigidly. I was still at an age where I didn't like getting hugs, but I was willing to take one, especially from Anna. "I'm glad you like it."_

_She pulled away as she continued to marvel at her wooden treasure. "I'm gonna call him Olaf. What do you think?"_

"_He does look like an Olaf," I said encouragingly._

"_Of course he does. Because there's only one Olaf and that's him!" She began dancing around the ballroom, chasing her way through the balloons while he suspended Olaf like a swooping bird._

"_C'mon Kristof," she squealed with delight, "Olaf's flying away to the land of sugarplums!"_

"_Don't worry, we'll catch him," I joined in and immediately started chasing her through the maze of balloons..._

"Kristof?"

Anna's voice stirred me awake. I got so engrossed in the memory that I completely had forgotten I was standing in the hallway, looking at her in her disheveled state. "Sorry, I guess I kinda zoned out for a moment."

"No kiddin'!" Anna said sarcastically. "I was like saying your name for five minutes."

"It wasn't that long," I refuted.

She laughed as she tucked away the little carved snowman. "Well, as much as I want to walk around the palace as the Gretchen witch, I think I should make myself a little more presentable."

"That would be a smart choice," I recommended. "I'll see you downstairs."

She shuffled back into her room, closing the door with a thud. As I made my way back down the hallway, I kept recalling back to that memory. It was strange how back then, I was willing to lie about a present that never really came from Elsa, just to make Anna happy. Even to this day, I still don't know why I did it...


	3. Chapter 3

_**I wanted to write a scene where we just see Kristoff and Anna bonding together. This chapter might be a bit of filler, but I kinda like the direction it went. Enjoy!**_

CHAPTER THREE: A MORNING SCENE

Once downstairs, I made my way into the kitchen. By now, most of the cooks and maids were use to me coming and going out of the palace, so as long as I had my boots off, my presence didn't bother or phase them. I greeted Chef Marlo and his assistant cook Ferdinand who were prepping and quartering the meals for the day. Walking over to one of the cupboards, I took out two cups and a bag of cocoa powder. Marlo was already boiling fresh water in a pot, so I scooped out some into the cups and then proceeded to measure each cup with spoonfuls of cocoa.

"Is the Princess finally coming down?" Chef Marlo inquired.

"How could you tell?" I chuckled as I continued to stir the cups.

"You always make cocoa for her when she is on her way,"

After the powder had dissolved completely, I left the cups simmering of the counter. I finally turned to Marlo and Ferdinand. "Hey, can I ask you two something?"

"Of course, Kristopher," said Marlo.

"It's Kristoff," I corrected him. Over ten years inside the palace and still he couldn't get my name right. "But I wanted to ask you two about the princesses."

Chef Marlo stopped what he was doing so that he could give me his full attention. "What about them?"

I tried to find the best way to word my question without sounding too informal. "Did Anna ever upset her sister a long time ago? Before I ever came to work here in the palace, did she do anything to offend her sister, in some way?"

Marlo was a little perplexed by this question, but he knew what I was inquiring. "Not that I know of. The little princesses were always like best friends. I never seen them angry at each other."

"Neither have I," interjected Ferdinand who was rolling up the dough for the croissants, "And I arrived here at the palace shortly before you did."

Their honesty only left me more in a fog. There had to be something that maybe I had not considered, maybe something I was overlooking. "It just doesn't make sense..."

"What do you mean, Kristopher?" asked Marlo.

I sighed, knowing it was pointless trying to correct my name with him again. "What I mean is... did it seem strange that Princess Elsa wasn't at the funeral? To any of you?"

Both Marlo and Ferdinand grew somber, as they were still emotionally distraught by that day. "The only thing we know is that the princesses loved their parents very much. Perhaps Elsa was too upset to be seen at the service. Either way, it's not my business to know."

"It did seem strange how cold it was that morning though," Ferdinand mentioned as he opened the oven to start baking the pastries. "You remember how foggy it was?"

"Yes, and in the middle of summer," added Marlo as he pointed towards the window. "Look, it's still dreary outside."

Now that they mentioned it, the change in the weather seemed odd. It had been warm and sunny all week before the day Anna and Elsa's parents died at sea, but a sudden blanket of clouds had enveloped all around us, chilling the air to the point you could feel it in your bones.

I hesitated before bringing the two cooks back to the main discussion. "I'm just... worried about Anna. She doesn't seem to be herself right now."

"Well, they were her parents," Marlo informed me. "She may be a little upset for the next few weeks. I wouldn't be too concerned about it though, Kristopher. Eventually she will get over it."

From outside in the hallway, I heard the voice of Anna as she bumped into and greeted one of the servants. I turned to Marlo, giving him a look that implied I wanted us to be alone. He dutifully nodded and dragged Ferdinand away from the oven and into the pantry.

The door swung open and there stood Anna. Her hair was groomed and braided now, and she was wearing a faded country green dress with rolled sleeves.

"Well, that's a lot better now," I said, implying to earlier and how she looked before stumbling out of her bedroom.

"Thanks," she smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Suddenly, Anna's nose started sniffing the sweet aroma of the cocoa brewing in the air and gave me a sarcastic look. "Do I even need to ask anymore?"

I presented both cups to her, shrugging my shoulders defensively. "What? I just thought you'd like some, that's all."

"You always make me cocoa," she said, taking one of the cups from me. "Seriously, it's like you can read my mind, or something."

We sat down at the table on two barstools, as we sipped in the morning silence. There were times when Anna gave off a few hums of delight as she drank her cocoa, and I smiled. A minute had gone by and neither of us said anything. The rich smells lingering in the kitchen I looked to Anna and saw her staring out the window, watching the fog creep along the mountain range.

"What'cha thinking about?" I asked.

"I just remembering..." she softly replied. "Mom and Dad. It's funny, I can remember everything we did together as a family. Even when they were busy with ruling the kingdom, I still remember them spending time with me. No matter what they were doing, they were always there for me."

_Sort of like what you wish your sister could do?_ I didn't say it, but I knew that's what she was thinking.

"You remember that day when they learned that I was teaching you to ride," I asked her, "and you wanted to show off for them by racing me across the courtyard?"

"Oh yeah, I do," she said as the memory dawned upon her again. "Man, you totally cheated on that one."

"What are you talking about? From what I recall, you beat me."

"You totally lost on purpose. I glanced over at you and you pulled your pony's reigns back so that you fall behind. And don't lie to me."

"Fine, you caught me! I'm a cheater! I just didn't want the King and Queen to see their daughter lose to a mere stable-boy. To be honest, I think they were more nervous that you would fall off or get hurt or something like that."

"Yeah, they were always overprotective around me," sighed Anna. "Sometimes, I wish they weren't."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, they never let me go anywhere outside of the palace walls. I mean, I know they cared about my safety and my sister's as well... but it feels like we missed out on so much while growing up."

I couldn't agree with Anna more. I was not bound to the limits of the palace's wall, and therefore still had the freedom to wander around town and occasionally visit my mother up in the mountains. Anna and her sister never had that privilege. The only existence of the world they knew ended right at the cobbled-stone walls. Never once could they venture beyond that point.

"Well... there's nothing too special about Arendelle," I said sarcastically, trying to sound. "Believe me when I say that you're not missing much out there."

"That's easy for you to say," she scoffed. "You can leave any time you want to."

I slumped back into my seat, knowing she was right. I took another sip from my cup.

"What's it like out there?" she asked me.

"You mean... out in the town?"

"Just... being outside of the walls." She rested her chin on her hand as she stared fondly at me. "Tell me about it."

What could I say? For me, the outside world was nothing different from the palace life; but that's not what Anna wanted to hear. I had to think about it, but I gave her my best answer: "It's more alive, I will say that. The people all seem to have somewhere to go. And there is an openness to the countryside. You could walk for miles out there, and be lost in the space of everything."

I didn't even know what I was mumbling. It sounded like a bunch of hogwash, if you asked me; I was never a poet when it came to words. When I glanced back at Anna, I could see she was mesmerized by the thought of the open countryside. "Wow... if only I could be out there."

It was then that I realized something. "Actually, I think you can."

Anna came out of her trance when she heard me say that. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," I said again, "maybe there is a way for you to experience that."

She instantly perked up, almost dropping her cup. "Really? How? When?"

"Tonight. I will show you."

"But..." she muttered hesitantly, "we aren't suppose to open the gates."

I smiled mischievously at her. "Who said we were leaving through the gates."

A smile began to creep on Anna's face as she could tell where I was going with this. "Oooh, I see. So where's the rendezvous point, Sgt. Kristoff?"

"At the south wall. Meet me there once everyone has gone to bed. And don't worry, I'll make sure no one catches us."

Immediately, Anna whipped out her pinkie and held it before me, giving me a determined look. "Promise?"

I presented my pinkie finger and wrapped it around hers, locking in a solid bond. "Promise."


End file.
